The Blind Cheetah Robot Which Can Save Lives

MIT’s scientists came up with a new creation, a four-legged robot which leaps almost three feet into the air and climbs debris-ridden stairs. Its look is similar to a cat’s, and it was named Cheetah 3. It aims to generate a new series of first-responder robots so do not worry about a robot apocalypse.

What is Cheetah 3?

The university launched a video of the retriever-sized robot which weighs 90 pounds, and you could see him navigate using touch sensors and not the camera. This process can be compared to when humans are trying to feel their way through pitch black environments.

An associate professor of mechanical engineering from MIT, Sangbae Kim says “Cheetah 3 is designed to do versatile tasks such as power plant inspection, which involves various terrain conditions including stairs, curbs, and obstacles on the ground,” this statement’s information was brought as he is one of the developers.

Kim’s future plans consist of giving Cheetah some eyes but for the period of testing the robot will keep its blindness. He motivated his choice by adding “In order to be as agile as animals, including humans, we need to have a great blind controller first before relying on vision,” to an email sent to NBC News MACH.

What Cheetah can do?

A professor from Texas A&M University, Robin Murphy who’s subject is engineering, and computer science confessed the major potential he sees in such search-and-rescue robot that uses touch technology to do so. This kind of robots are able to search in obscured by airborne dust or pitch black areas, added Robin Murphy who is also part of the Cheetah project.

The professor says of MIT’s researchers’ work that “It would be so great when that technology that they’re showing matures and could be added to the robots that are the size of a shoebox.”

Another advantage of such little robots ist hat they can get in places too small for humans and they also can help rescuers find humans stuck in collapsed buildings.